Chapter 65: Fight the Bear
The Whispering Hollow – A C-rank Gate on the outskirts of Elysium
Sein’s crimson gauntlets blazed as she faced the towering bear-like monster. Its fur was matted with dark mana, claws the size of knives digging into the cracked earth. The creature roared—a deep, guttural sound that shook the trees around them.
"Tch. Another one of these ugly things." Sein cracked her neck and launched forward. "Crimson Impact!"
Her fist connected with the bear’s jaw, sending a shockwave through its massive head. The beast staggered but didn’t fall. It swung a clawed paw at her—Sein ducked, pivoted, and drove her other gauntlet into its ribs. Flas erupted from the impact, scorching its fur.
"It’s tough!" she shouted, leaping back.
Sarah raised her wand, pink light gathering at its tip. "Then let
soften it up! Heartstorm Tempest!"
A cascade of pink hearts rained down on the bear, each explosion staggering the creature. Its hide cracked, dark ichor seeping from fresh wounds. The beast howled in pain, then collapsed—dissolving into mana particles.
Sarah lowered her wand, a smirk on her face. "One down. That wasn’t so—"
A blade of dark energy sliced through the air toward her back.
Andrey was already moving. His katana flashed, intercepting the attack with a shower of sparks. Damage Absorb flared red in his chest as he absorbed the residual energy.
"Ambush!" he called out. "From the ridge!"
Lisa spun, her mint-green wand raised. "Starlight Burst—chain!"
Green stars streaked from her wand, ricocheting between three shadowy figures that had erged from behind the trees. Each hit left a glowing mark on their bodies—a tracker, a vulnerability.
Sein didn’t wait. She sprinted toward the marked enemies, her gauntlets roaring with crimson fire. "Crimson Cascade!"
A flurry of explosive punches sent the first two flying into each other. The third tried to flee—Sein grabbed its ankle and hurled it into the cluster.
"Now, Sarah!" Andrey shouted.
Sarah raised her wand high, pink energy gathering like a storm. "Heartstorm Tempest—full spread!"
A torrent of pink hearts swept across the clustered enemies, each explosion chaining to the next. The marked targets—vulnerable from Lisa’s skill—detonated in sequence, turning the ambush into a fireworks display of dissolving dark mana.
When the light faded, nothing remained but scorched earth and fading particles.
Sein stood in the center of the devastation, her breathing heavy but controlled. Her eyes scanned the tree line, the ridge, the shadows between the trunks.
"Don’t lower your guard," she said, her voice sharp. "That was too easy. A pack like that doesn’t ambush without sothing leading them."
Andrey tightened his grip on his katana, Ki senses stretching outward. Lisa raised her wand again, a fresh barrier shimring into place around the group. Sarah’s pink glow flickered at the ready.
The ground trembled.
Sothing moving.
The trees at the far end of the clearing snapped and splintered. A shape erged from the forest—massive, easily three tis the size of the bears they’d just killed. Its body was thick with corded muscle, covered in fur as black as pitch. Two curved horns jutted from its skull, gleaming with dark energy. Its eyes burned like embers, and each breath it took sent steam rising from its nostrils.
The ground shook with every step.
Sein’s eyes narrowed. "That’s... not a normal monster."
Andrey adjusted his glasses. "That’s the boss. Everyone, form up."
Lisa nodded, her barrier expanding to cover all three of them. "I’ll keep the shields up. Focus on its weak points."
Sein cracked her knuckles, crimson flas licking at her gauntlets. "I’ll draw its attention. You three find an opening."
The bear-boss roared—a deafening sound that sent birds scattering from the surrounding trees. It charged.
Sein t it head-on.
Her fist slamd into its snout, crimson flas exploding on impact. The beast barely flinched. Its massive paw swept sideways, and Sein barely raised her gauntlets in ti—the blow sent her skidding back, heels digging furrows into the dirt.
"Tch! This one’s got real armor!" she shouted, shaking off the sting in her arms.
The boss roared and lowered its horns, dark energy crackling between them. A beam of concentrated shadow lanced toward Sein—she dodged left, but the beam curved, following her. She dove behind a boulder just as the energy struck, shattering the rock into pieces.
"Sein!" Lisa’s barrier flared around her as debris rained down.
The boss charged again, faster this ti. Its shoulder slamd into Sein’s guard, and she felt ribs crack. She flew backward, hitting the ground hard, her transformation flickering.
"I’m fine!" she gasped, pushing herself up. Blood trickled from a cut on her forehead.
"The hell you are!" Sarah’s wand blazed. "Heartstorm Tempest!" Pink hearts slamd into the boss’s side, staggering it. The beast turned toward her, eyes glowing.
Lisa sprinted to Sein, her wand glowing mint-green. "Reinforced Barrier!" A thick do snapped around them just as the boss’s claw ca down. The barrier held, cracks spiderwebbing across its surface.
"Refreshing Breeze—focus on Sein!" Lisa’s healing energy washed over the injured Magical Girl. Sein’s ribs knit, the cut on her forehead sealing.
Sarah kept firing from a distance, each blast buying them seconds. "I’m running low on mana! This thing’s a mana sponge!"
"That’s because you’re too wasteful!" Lisa snapped, not looking up from Sein. "You always use max output when dium would do!"
"Now is not the ti for a lecture!"
Lisa reached out and touched Sarah’s arm. "Mana Transfer." Blue energy flowed from Lisa’s wand into Sarah’s, replenishing her reserves. Sarah’s eyes widened.
"Thanks. I’ll make it count."
Andrey was already moving. He slid between Sein and the boss, katana raised, deflecting another shadow beam with a Ki-enhanced slash. Damage Absorb glowed red in his chest as he absorbed the residual energy.
"Sein, can you move?" He grabbed her arm, pulling her back.
"I can fight. It’s just a scratch."
"Your ’scratch’ is bleeding through your dress. Stay behind
for a second."
The boss bear stomped the ground again, dark energy erupting in jagged spikes from the cracks. Andrey leaped back, barely avoiding the attack.
Sein pushed herself up, her gauntlets flaring back to life. "Andrey! Have you found its weakness yet?!"
Andrey’s eyes swept over the creature, Ki senses probing every inch of its massive form. The fur was thick, the hide beneath reinforced with dark mana. The horns crackled with energy, but they weren’t the core—just conduits.
"Not yet!" he admitted. "It’s heavily armored. The dark mana is layered under the fur. We need to strip those layers first!"
Sein gritted her teeth. "Then hurry up!"
Andrey made a decision. "I’m going in closer."
"What?!"
"Just keep it distracted!"
Andrey sprinted forward, katana low, weaving between the boss’s legs as it swung its massive paws. He slashed at its flank—the blade bit shallowly, barely drawing dark ichor.
"Grrraaahhh!" The bear’s roar rumbled, deep and guttural. Its tail swept sideways.
Andrey jumped, flipping over the tail, and landed on its back. He drove his katana into the base of its neck—the blade sank a few inches before stopping. The boss roared, bucking violently.
Andrey held on with one hand, using the other to channel Ki into his palm. He pressed it against the wound, feeling the layered dark mana beneath. ’Three layers... no, four. Each one reinforcing the next.’
The boss’s massive paw slamd into his side.
Andrey flew through the air, crashing into a tree trunk. The impact cracked the wood, and he slid down, gasping. Damage Absorb flared bright red in his chest completely full.
"Gah..." He coughed, blood spotting his lips.
"ANDREY!" Lisa’s voice was high with panic. She sprinted toward him, wand already glowing. "Refreshing Breeze!"
Mint-green healing energy washed over Andrey’s body. The bruises on his ribs faded. The cuts on his arms sealed. His breathing steadied.
Andrey pushed himself up, wiping blood from his mouth. "Thanks, Lisa. I got what I needed."
Sein had been keeping the boss busy, trading blows, absorbing its attention. She glanced back. "What’s the plan, Glasses?!"
Andrey’s eyes locked onto the boss. ’Its armor is thick, but now I understand its structure. The dark mana layers are woven like chainmail—flexible, durable, but with gaps at the joints. The underbelly, the armpits, the base of the horns. But we need to strip the outer layers first. All at once.’
"Sarah!" he shouted. "Your Apocalypse skill—can you still use it?"
Sarah’s wand flickered, but her eyes were sharp. "Yeah. Once if I push it."
"That’s all we need. Hit it with everything you have. Strip its armor."
Sarah nodded, her transformation flaring brighter. Pink light gathered at her wand’s tip, building into a storm. "Love’s... APOCALYPSE!"
The world turned pink. A column of pure heart-shaped energy slamd down from the sky, engulfing the massive bear. The beast roared as the outer layers of dark mana peeled away like burning paper. Its fur singed. Its hide cracked. The dark energy shield shattered.
But the boss didn’t fall.
It staggered, bleeding, but still standing. Its eyes blazed brighter, maddened by pain.
"NOW, Sein!"
Sein didn’t hesitate. She launched herself into the air, both gauntlets blazing with concentrated crimson fire. Her body beca a teor of fla and fury.
"CRIMSON... NOVA!"
She slamd into the boss’s exposed flank, and the explosion that followed was unlike anything before. A wave of crimson energy erupted outward, scorching the ground, vaporizing the remaining dark mana, blasting through the beast’s core.
The boss let out one final, deafening roar—then collapsed.
Its massive body crumbled into mana particles, drifting away on the wind.
Sein landed on one knee, breathing hard, her gauntlets dimming. Sarah dropped her wand, gasping. Lisa fell to her knees, her barriers fading.
Andrey stood at the edge of the clearing, katana lowered, watching the particles fade.
System: Gate cleared! Boss defeated.
Rewards calculating...
Andrey:
600 EXP | Level 15 → Level 16! Skill upgrade: Ki Manipulation Lv4 → Lv5 (Ki flow efficiency
20%, Ki Pulse damage increased). Damage Absorb capacity increased.
Sein:
600 EXP | Level 8 → Level 10! New passive: Fla Eater (absorbing fire-based attacks heals instead of damages).
Sarah:
600 EXP | Level 13 → Level 14! Love’s Apocalypse cooldown reduced.
Lisa:
600 EXP | Level 13 → Level 14! Mana Transfer efficiency increased.
Team Bonus: Affection
20 (coordinated assault under pressure).
180 MP.
The gate’s exit shimred into view at the far end of the clearing—a warm, golden light cutting through the oppressive twilight.
Sein pushed herself to her feet, wincing. Her body ached, but the satisfaction of victory was worth it. She walked toward Andrey, her boots crunching on the scorched earth.
"Not bad, Glasses. You actually had a plan."
Andrey sheathed his katana, adjusting his cracked glasses. "Plans are useful when others follow them."
Sarah stumbled over, leaning on Lisa for support. "Can we go ho now? I’m exhausted."
Lisa nodded, equally tired. "Yeah... let’s go."
They walked toward the exit together, the golden light washing over them as they crossed the threshold into the real world.
Andrey pulled out his phone, glancing at the screen. The ti glowed back at him—already late afternoon. They’d spent hours inside the gate, and the evening was approaching fast. He tucked the phone back into his pocket and turned to face the others.
"Don’t forget, we have the Horizon Guild event tonight," he said, his tone calm but firm. "We should head back soon to get ready."
Sarah, who was still leaning on Lisa’s shoulder, groaned. "Already? I just want to collapse into bed..."
Lisa patted her arm sympathetically. "We can rest after the event, Sarah."
Sarah straightened up, brushing dirt off her skirt. Her expression shifted from exhaustion to wariness. "You’ve checked it out already, right? That it’s safe?" She crossed her arms, her brow furrowed. "I don’t want this to turn into another disaster like last ti."
Andrey adjusted his glasses, eting her gaze steadily. "It should be safe. The Horizon Guild is known for their discipline and strict protocols. Their security is among the best in the city—they’ve never had a major incident at their public events." He paused, then added, "But we’ll still be careful. I’ve already prepared a few contingencies just in case. So relax."
Sarah sighed, uncrossing her arms. "Fine. But if anything looks even slightly suspicious, I’m leaving."
Andrey’s lips curved into a small smile. "Agreed. Everyone’s safety cos first."
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